Carpooling from Vancouver. Approximate driving time 4.5 hours plus time at the border. We’ll do our best to hook you up with driving partners based on where you live and when you want to leave town.

The area is administered by the Washington Dept of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW). For parking at the main climber’s parking lot (and for the climber’s campground) you need a WDFW Vehicle Access pass https://fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov/wdfw/licenses.html. It’s good for one year and costs about $15. You can purchase one from any store that sells fishing and hunting licences, including the general store in Vantage (you can call them at 509-856-2800 to confirm their hours). You can find a full list of vendors at http://wdfw.wa.gov/licensing/vendors/

There’s also a small parking lot a mile or two further along the road which is outside the WDFW permit area and where you can park for free. You can hike to the climbing area from here in about the same time as from the main parking lot.

The climber’s campground at Frenchman Coulee is free except that you need a WDFW Vehicle Access permit for your car (see above). It’s very scenic, but dusty and has absolutely no facilities except for a port-a-potty. Don’t know how well it’s maintained currently, but in the past it’s been pretty bad when it’s overused (which was on most busy weekends). Bring your own everything, including water.

The Riverstone Resort and RV Park in Vantage offers standard commercial camping facilities in a pleasant location plus a motel with some kitchenette units and possibly a few furnished houses that are available for nightly rentals. The accommodation is pretty basic, but the prices are reasonable. If you’re interested in sharing the rent for one of the houses, let us know and if there’s enough interest we’ll see if we can book one.